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Happy New Year! May all your #writing dreams come true! Hit us up and let us know how we, and our fabulous community, can help you achieve your goals this year!

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There is a lot of #writingadvice for us #writers. Some of it conflicts. So, what do you do? https://goo.gl/7pzcrT This fantastic post has a few ideas! #writingtips #amwriting

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A reminder that Plotist is on discord! Come chat with our amazing community, and the developers behind Plotist! https://goo.gl/2FZwmp

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About writing “rules”

Let me tell you something about the history class I took this past semester. It was about science and technology and at some point we learned about some weapon, something like a bow. The author talks about how the weapon makers didn’t use scientific laws about springs (which I didn’t exist at the time), but rather rules of thumb which they had observed over time. There was no “Use this equation to figure out how much power a string of X material will produce at Y length and Z thickness etc etc.” It was more like “Hey, Joe over there said this type of string works well, let’s use it.” Through generations of trial and error, they figured out what works and what doesn’t, and though they still experimented and tried to push limits, they always had this compiled knowledge to look back on (unless of course that knowledge was destroyed or something.)

This is kinda what writing rules are. They’re rules of thumb compiled by the writing and reading community, observations that people have made over the years, decades, centuries. “Modern readers today tend to like stories that do this.” “Best sellers follow a pattern of doing that.” “Many authors find that this technique works well.” Etc. 

You’ll find that some rules stop working over time as readers’ tastes change. You’ll find that some rules conflict because the authors/readers have different goals or a different way of thinking . You’ll find that they may not work for you because you have different goals or a different way of thinking. And you’ll find out that through experimentation, through trial and error, and, yes, breaking the rules, you and other authors will create brand new rules for future authors to follow and learn from. 

But don’t abandon the rules. Many authors before you, sometimes generations of authors, have worked to create these rules so you will have something to learn from, something to start with, something to be inspired by, and something to defy. The rules are for the beginner who doesn’t know how to start, the experienced author who doesn’t know how to continue.

Becoming an good writer with a unique style isn’t about learning to write without the rules. It’s about searching through all the rules of thumb and finding your own unique set, your own unique set of observations that you believe generally make a piece of writing good. Your set will never be finished, never be complete, it will always change as you change and learn and grow.

I think I went on a little tangent, but my point was that when you read writing “rules” you should remember that they are rules of thumb, not laws that must be followed but also not something to be ignored.

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Here's a fantastic collection of #writingtips from this past year! A little something for everyone. https://goo.gl/VJhHrW #amwriting #amediting #fiction #crime #game #screenwriting #mentalhealth

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A fascinating look at how important #Storytellers are! https://goo.gl/yf5zBX #amwriting

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When picking the right word, *it's* important to pick the right world for *its* case. Ah #grammar. This list is great! https://goo.gl/uXrfxL #amwriting #amediting

[beaplotist]

Is it okay to have a lot of one-sentence paragraphs in a story?

Creative writing doesn’t always have to conform to hard grammar or paragraph structure, so generally, yes it’s okay– but I’ll explain a little more and then you can make your own judgement call. 

Paragraph structure affects pacing.

Lots of one-sentence paragraphs are quick.

They’re bold.

They make what you say stand out.

However, too much can get too intense– especially if the scene isn’t supposed to be quick-paced. 

Paragraphs with multiple sentences convey a more connected sense of flow and it’s no surprise that a period is simply less jarring to read than a paragraph break. Paragraphs are supposed to connect story elements that need to be connected and are a form of organization to help readers better understand what you’re trying to tell them. So while single-sentence paragraphs themselves aren’t inherently a problem, you need to make sure you’re not improperly pacing your writing or failing to organize it altogether. 

Typically, shorter paragraphs (especially single sentence) are the kind of thing you’d write in an action scene, to make that singular sentence stand out, or to create the idea of a “fast paced” moment. They draw attention to what’s being written, and too much usage can get overwhelming because there’s too much “boldness” to focus on.

Unlike with essays, creative writing doesn’t always have a clear break point between ideas. Whether your method of single-sentence paragraph works or not ultimately depends on the context of the scene and how often that “a lot” refers to. If you’re mixing single-sentence paragraphs with larger ones, then you’re probably okay as long as the content of those single-sentence paragraphs is important and supposed to stand out. 

By putting anything in a paragraph on its own, you’re drawing attention to it.

Not everything deserves that kind of attention.

So it’s okay to use them, but watch how often that use really is, especially if you have them following each other because too much can definitely be a pain to read. Test the effect of your single-sentence paragraphs by reading the scene out loud at a slower pace than you may usually speak. Your mouth can usually pick up where your writing is getting too choppy from all the paragraph breaks. 

Good luck with everything!

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Take you #writing to the next level with some of this fantastic tips! Writing Tips Round Up: Writing during the #holidays https://goo.gl/1FMzEa #amwriting

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We've put together a list of 40 gift ideas for #writers. So many incredible choices! What would you pick? https://goo.gl/h6zimU #writerslife #giftsforwriters

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As a reminder, we've just added two new requested features to Plotist! https://goo.gl/b5p1rm #amwriting #amplotting #BeAPlotist

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We've teamed up with the incredible community over at ccMixterMusic for their Under The Tree event! Write a holiday story, record it (or have a friend do it or ask us to help), and watch the remixing happen! https://goo.gl/c5Aq25

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Have you recovered from NaNoWriMo yet?

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writers need a lot of encouragement, and over the past few weeks I’ve been told a lot of really cool things about writers that we deserve or that we should be thinking about in terms of our value. so if you’re ever doubting yourself as a writer, keep all of these in mind!

I’ll start off by saying that people want you. They want your stories and your ideas. Not everyone can write well, not everyone is good at telling stories, but everyone wants a good story to get absorbed in. You’re in high demand! Recognize the value in what you can do, and how valuable it is to other people. 

Your time is worth just as much as the time of people consuming your work. Don’t let people waste it. After all, you need time to write, and they need that material that you’re providing.

Most writers aren’t confident, even really successful ones, so you’re in good company. But you need to believe in what you’re writing if you want anyone else to buy into it, otherwise it’s a waste of their time. Why waste time on something you don’t believe in? If you’re willing to spend a lot of time writing something, it’s because you see something great in it, you see something worth spending a lot of time on, and you think someone else is going to enjoy it, too. Remember that. 

It’s really really really hard to finish anything long (and anything short, to be honest!). And then there’s redrafts and redrafts and redrafts. Keep pushing through to finish it, because it feels really good. And then edit it to make it better. Make it the best it possibly can be. Editing doesn’t mean that what you did was bad. Nothing is at its best on the first try. 

Keep writing. You only get better at writing if you do it a lot, like with anything. 

Sometimes people don’t always pay as much attention to the things we’re most proud of as we want them to. That’s okay. If you’re proud of it, you have good reason to be, and you accomplished something. 

Alternatively, sometimes people pay a lot of attention to something you don’t really think is worth paying as much attention to for whatever reason. But they’ve clearly seen something in it that’s really resonating with them, and you did that! You got that reaction out of them! Congratulations! 

Writing is hard, but it’s also cathartic and incredibly rewarding, not just for you, but for everyone who reads what you’ve written. So keep on doing what you do, believe in it, and know that there are people out there who believe in you and want what you have to give! 

[beaplotist]

Whether you're new to NaNo, you've won every year, or you've been beaten by marshmallows while attempting it, we have a few recommendations to help keep you on track.

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Ghosts, Vampires, Zombies or NaNombies, Demons, and Candy Hangovers... there are several horrors that will challenge you during November. Meet some of them and learn how to tackle them!